Duo plans 332-mile Becky's Ride to roll over cancer

Most important to the two, though, is to ride in honor of their late cousin Becky Mowery, a former Lewiston area resident, who was not as fortunate as the two men in her battle with cancer.

The 1981 graduate of Atlanta High School died of ovarian cancer in 1995.

"We're going to kind of celebrate the life of Becky," King said. "She was a beautiful gal; she loved life. My last memory of her was her playing 'Wipeout' on the drums. She's gone, but not forgotten."

So much is the ride dedicated to Becky that the two men decided to call their trip "Becky's Ride" with the theme "Rolling over cancer one mile at a time."

Although the men have taken bicycle trips before (as kids they rode 800 miles around Michigan), they say this is the first time they have taken an excursion as a fundraiser. King did run in a fund-raising marathon in Ireland a few years ago, which gave him the idea for Becky's Ride.

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King is the son of Doug King, a lifelong Lewiston resident, and Jacobson is one of the elder King's nephews. Their route will take them from their starting point in Spring Lake, near Grand Rapids, to the home of Doug Mowery, Becky's father and the two men's uncle, on (you guessed it) Douglas Lake Road in Charlton Township.

The pair, who both survived battles with testicular cancer, are exultant about the opportunity to raise money for the cause and astonished at the amount of support they've received in their home area of Grand Haven.

"A lot of people have their hands out, so it's kind of neat that everyone is so responsive," King says of those who have donated. "I think it's the universal appeal that everyone's been touched by cancer."

They began riding extensively after their respective recoveries, in what Jacobson terms as "spitting in the eye of the aging process." This year, they decided to make their bike ride more meaningful.

"We didn't want to let old Father Time take us down without a fight," 45-year-old King says of their age-defying effort. So, this year, they will ride to honor their cousin's memory, raise awareness about cancer and its survivability and to contribute to the American Cancer Society.

So far, the men have raised about $700, but expect that amount to increase as they commence their journey on Saturday and upon their arrival in Otsego County.

King works for Granger Industrial Supply in Muskegon, which has agreed to triple King's own personal contributions to the American Cancer Society.

Jacobson, 45, says he, like his father, is simply a carpenter. But he has an important message: "We lost our cousin Becky when she was only in her early thirties, leaving behind three young boys. We will take this trip in Becky's honor, raising our memory of her in the hope that some good can come out of her loss."

Those interested in pledging by the mile or making a donation to the men's efforts may contact King at 616-846-0254 or the Holland chapter of the American Cancer Society at 616-396-5576 or 800-541-3902.